Bach: The Well-Tempered Clavier, Book I

To those reared on Bach as played by Glenn Gould, Edwin Fischer's style may seem disconcerting. Where Gould's primary focus was clarity of counterpoint, Fischer concentrated on mood, color, and lyricism. And while you won't find Gould's precision here -- these preludes and fugues were recorded in the 1930s,/a>/a>…
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(German Import)

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Overview

To those reared on Bach as played by Glenn Gould, Edwin Fischer's style may seem disconcerting. Where Gould's primary focus was clarity of counterpoint, Fischer concentrated on mood, color, and lyricism. And while you won't find Gould's precision here -- these preludes and fugues were recorded in the 1930s, before the days of tape splicing -- few pianists so thoroughly explored the emotional depths of Bach's Well-Tempered Clavier as did Fischer in these legendary performances. Despite a few smudged passages, Fischer has the chops for this demanding music: Listen to the phenomenal control he displays in the dizzying prelude to the B-Flat Major Prelude in Book I, or the way he manages to give a seamless, singing legato to a gnarly fugue like the D Minor from Book II. Indeed, the most striking aspect of these interpretations is that the music seems to glow. The recordings, however, are slightly cloudy, but this only adds to their sense of intimacy. (Producers Marina and Victor Ledin were wise not to add any artificial boost to the treble.) In short, another historic recording at a bargain price from Naxos.